The Artists and The Writers

1) Henry David Thoreau – Transcendentalist writer who visited this lighthouse a few times in the 1850’s and wrote that erosion would put an end to the lighthouse in less than forty years. In his book about the region he stated about this lighthouse “A man can stand here and put all of America behind him.”

2) Walt Whitman – In 1888, Whitman wrote this about this lighthouse’s location, “I stand as on some mighty eagle’s beak, Eastward the sea absorbing, viewing (nothing but sea and sky), The tossing waves, the foam, the ships in the distance, The wild unrest, the snowy. curling caps-that inbound urge and urge of waves, the shores forever.”

3) Newell Convers (N.C.) Wyeth – Golden Age Illustrator whose illustrations graced such classic books as Robin Hood, Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, and The Last of the Mohicans. As a youth worked in this lighthouse’s town for a few summers prior to becoming an illustrator.

4) Andrew Wyeth – Painter of “Christina’s World” who bought this lighthouse and island in 1978 where it served as his studio.

5) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – Famous American poet who wrote “Paul Revere’s Ride” and befriended the Lighthouse Keeper at this light. It is believed his poem “The Lighthouse” was inspired by this light.

6) Ernest Hemmingway – One of the Greatest American writers who wrote “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and whose residence was across the street from this lighthouse. Tradition and legend have it that Hemmingway would follow the lighthouse’s beam home after heavy nights of drinking to ensure he could find his way home.

7) Edward Hopper – Painted quite a few paintings of this specific lighthouse including, “Lighthouse Hill”. “Lighthouse Hill” is said to have been the source of influence that Alfred Hitchcock used for the visual of the “Bate’s Motel” up on the hill in the movie “Psycho”.

8) Winslow Homer – Famous America seascape painter who lived at this lighthouse for one year in 1880. Some reports also have this lighthouse as the first U.S. Coast Guard Station in America.

9) John Steinbeck – Writer of “The Grapes of Wrath”; referenced this lighthouse in quite a few of his works. Many times played with his sister at this lighthouse location when a child.

10) Rudyard Kipling – Nobel Prize Laureate author of “Jungle Book”; had a summer home near this light.

11) Virginia Woolf – Wrote the famous book “To the Lighthouse” which was based on this lighthouse.

12) Celia Thaxter – Famous New England poet who’s father was the lighthouse Keeper at this lighthouse. Wrote the Poem “The Wreck of the Pocahontas” and “Sandpiper”.

13) Eugenia Price – Southern writer whose books included “New Moon Rising” and “The Beloved Invader” and who wrote the book “The Lighthouse” based on this light.

14) Stephen Crane – Writer of “The Red Badge of Courage”. While a newspaper reporter and voyaging to Cuba, his ship sunk and he rowed his raft towards this lighthouse for safety.